Melville Leads Terp Domination of ACC High Jump

Maryland Athletics

2-28-2014

CLEMSON, S.C. – Amber Melville led a Maryland domination of the women’s high jump, winning the event and joining teammate Amina Smith by snapping a school record that had stood for 34 years in action Friday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Melville and Smith each cleared 6 feet, 1-1/4 inches in the event, snapping the old record of 6-1 set in 1980 by Paula Girven. Melville cleared the winning height on her first attempt, while Smith posted her career-best on her second, making the difference in first and second place.

Thea LaFond, who had won the ACC pentathlon on Thursday, finished fourth at a career-best 6-0.

Pending other conference championships also being conducted this weekend, Melville and Smith’s high-jump marks were third in the nation. LaFond tied for seventh nationally, as the top 16 marks are expected to earn invitations to the NCAA Indoor Nationals, to be held in two weeks in Albuquerque, N.M.

Maryland’s 1-2-4 finish in the high jump was good for 23 points in the event and put Maryland in third place in the women’s team standings with 33 points. Florida State leads with 41 points with Duke in second at 37 with six of 17 events completed.

The Terrapins placed two track athletes in Saturday finals during qualifying heats on Friday.

Senior Julie Sinkovitz ran a season-best 2:08.55 at 800 meters and will be the fourth seed out of the eight finalists in Saturday’s championship. Sinkovitz is the school record-holder in the 800.

Freshman Lisa Meneau cut nearly a full tenth of a second off her previous season-best in the 60-meter hurdles, with her 8.62 earning her the No. 7 seed. Meneau also moved from ninth to seventh on Maryland’s all-time list in the 60 hurdles with her performance.

The Terps also got a strong effort from senior Becky Yep in the 5,000 meters. Yep had a career-best time of 17:19.76 in the event, finishing 24th in the field but moving into fourth all-time at Maryland after cutting 10 seconds off her indoor PR.

Maryland also got a PR from sophomore Emily VandeWater in the 800 qualifying on Friday. She ran 2:15.79 to finish sixth in her heat and 23rd overall, cutting a second off her previous best.

A busy LaFond will compete Saturday in the women’s triple jump, while sophomore thrower Cici Onyekwere is one of the top seeds in the shot put.

Saturday’s final day of competition begins at 11 a.m.

ESPN3 will provide live coverage from noon until the conclusion of the

The ESPN3 live stream coverage may be accessed through the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championship page: http://theacc.co/ITFchamp .

Live results can be accessed at http://theacc.co/ITFlivestats, and additional information will be available at @ACCTrackField and Tags #ACCITF on Twitter.